Soldier
by intoxication
Summary: Nothing good ever came from the PLANTS. That's what she had always believed. AC. DM. Part III - “The one girl who meant so much to him, and I just made her cry.”
1. Part I

Hey there guys, it's been a while. Anyway, too tired to rant. I've gotten a decent amount of this 'one shot' written, so I figured I might as well put up the first part. Yes, it IS a one shot, just a rather over-sized one that I have split into parts. It was inspired by 'Travelling Soldier' by the Dixie Chicks. There are parts in here that may be OOC, but I think it makes it so much more fun.

If you review, I will love you forever, I promise.

I do not own Gundam Seed.

* * *

It was a typical Friday night. The regulars had all settled in, liquors of choice in hand. She heard the rowdy calls, the drunken laughter, but paid no attention to it. She was used to it now. She had been working as the bartender here every second night for the last two weeks, and she had adjusted quite well. She had only had a few run-ins with the customers, usually the sleazy old men or the cocky young ones. She rested her chin lazily in her hand as she leaned on the bar top, eyes gazing blindly at the fluorescent lights of the jukebox. And then, things changed, The atmosphere shifted, became more tense, and she wasn't the only one to shift her eyes curiously to the door. She could hear loud voices even over the ruckus within the building. And when the door opened, she knew why. Fresh recruits. Not necessarily new, but soldiers itching for a fight. It took but one glance to identify them. They were from the PLANTS. A growl built in her throat; nothing good ever came from the PLANTS. Orb was often their departure point, so this meant that soon another spout of fighting would begin. Silence fell over those that had already been in the pub as the soldiers filed in, seemingly in their own world. She straightened, eying the men warily. She had been warned about them. They told her that fresh soldiers were rowdy, loud, and typically craving the physical contact that they may not receive for some time. Was it really so hard to go without intimacy for a little while? Honestly, in her eyes they were the lowest of the low. Fighting for causes that may not even exist. She saw no point in it. But, being 'freshies', they were bound to get hammered, which meant a good profit for the pub. If they didn't destroy the place.

"First round is on Yzak!"

The cry went up from the crowd, and a silver haired man looked stunned. "What? Who said?!"

"I did." A blonde grinned back at him, challenging him.

"Your turn next then."

"Fine with me. Get going, I'm thirsty."

The silver-haired grunted and turned towards the bar. She readied herself as she saw his eyes run over her, seemingly surprised to see a female behind the bar. He leaned on the bar top, a cocky grin on his face.

"Hey there."

"What can I get you?" She plastered a grin on her face, ignoring his obvious attempts to be charming. Uniforms didn't do it for her, especially not the rather tacky red uniform of the PLANTS troops.

"Beers. Uh..." He turned around to do a quick headcount. "14. And one for yourself."

"No drinking on the job allowed." She muttered as she turned to begin retrieving the glasses.

"Surely you can join us for one."

"Nope, afraid not." She heard his disgruntled scoff. Clearly, he wasn't used to getting rejected. She slid the first of the beers onto the mat in front of him.

"Might want to get someone to help you carry them."

"Why, doesn't the service here include assistance?"

She glanced at him with a forced smile. "Not if you want the rest of these drinks poured any time soon."

Sadly though, she knew he was right. The pub owner wouldn't be pleased if he heard she had been rude to the customers. Pouring the drinks was only part of the job. She finished pouring the final beer, and placed half a dozen of them on a tray, lifting it and carrying it carefully out from behind the bar. She walked hesitantly to the table. Still, the most noise in the bar was coming from them. She edged into the group around the table, careful to keep her body to herself. She didn't want to tempt fate. She slid beers in front of the men that didn't yet have one, smiling faintly as she did so.

"Anything else, just ask." She hoped to God they didn't hear her.

God wasn't playing nice.

"Well, in that case..."

An arm looped around her waist, pulling her backwards and down, crashing her onto one of the laps. The blonde haired man that had done the nominations for drinks leered at her as he tightened his grip around her waist. Her gaze hardened, glaring at him.

"This is a bar, not a brothel."

"What, you don't want a nice tip?"

"Not from you, no."

His grin broadened. "Well there's 14 of us, so that's another 13 to pick from."

"Make that 15 of us!"

The silver-haired guy from earlier added, sending a glance towards the door where a solemn faced soldier was entering. Cagalli twisted a little to glare at the newcomer, flinching as she felt the blonde's arm tightening. The newcomer walked straight towards her, his eyes fixed on her. She swallowed nervously, testing herself against the restraining arm to see if she couldn't break away. She didn't want to go wriggling around, that could cause something... awkward. The man's shimmering green eyes surveyed her in silence for a moment, before a hand shot out to slap against the side of the blonde's face.

"Dearka, release her."

Dearka blinked, stunned, before obediently letting her go. She immediately leapt up from his lap, and shot a wary glance at the dark-haired man who was still watching her.

"Another beer, if you wouldn't mind."

She nodded quickly before skirting around him and retreating to the bar. He followed her, standing silently to wait for his liquor. She poured it quickly, hoping that speeding up now would make the rest of the night pass. As she passed the drink over to him, he caught her gaze with his.

"Ignore Dearka. And if my suspicions are correct, Yzak as well. War goes to their heads."

She blinked numbly for a moment, before nodding briskly. "I'll do that. And apparently it goes to more than their heads."

The man chuckled, still holding her gaze. She just couldn't convince herself to look away.

"I'm Athrun Zala by the way. And you are?"

"Cagalli. Cagalli Yula Athha."

He nodded slowly, before shooting her a smile. "Sorry, if I had arrived earlier I could have stopped those idiots."

Her gaze slipped past him to the idiots in question. "If it wasn't for the fact that I would be fired, they wouldn't have managed to lay a finger on me."

"Oh really?"

She nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. I've dealt with worse."

"Oh I don't know about that. Blood-thirsty and sex-hungry soldiers are on a whole new level, Miss Athha."

"I'm sure they are, but they are still just men. I can deal with that."

"I'm not sure you could."

She bristled. If there were two things she couldn't stand, it was being doubted and being thought of as incapable. This _Zala_ was doing both. So what if he had saved her ass. "Stop being so sexist. I'm sure I could manage."

"Do you want to test that?"

The grin on his face made her shudder a little. It was a challenge, that was for certain, but oddly enough she found herself reluctant to accept this one. "I can't, I'm on the job."

"Later then."

She watched him warily as he turned away and dragged a chair over to the table where his comrades sat. She wasn't looking forward to this.

* * *

11:30 came, and the regulars were slowly beginning to file out of the pub. The soldiers were making no move to leave, even though the pub was due to close in half hour. She reluctantly stepped out from behind the bar and headed for the table, standing with her hands on her hips.

"The bar is closing in half hour. Start finishing up please." Without waiting for a response, she turned and returned to the bar. She heard the irritated murmuring at the idea of having to step out into the night and going without a drink in hand for the rest of the night. But, it didn't bother her. She just wanted to get home.

* * *

Just a few minutes before closing time, the PLANTS soldiers stood up and left. Cagalli breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out to their table, scooping up the empty glasses and any other mess they had left. She worked quickly, robotically, getting the bar ready for closing. Once it was, she fished the keys out of her pocket and left the building, locking it behind her. She took a deep breath of the still night air and turned to begin on her way home. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw the figure standing directly in front of her, and she staggered backwards.

"Something wrong?"

She recognised the voice. Zala.

"Not at all. Do you have a problem?"

"Not at all. Just thought I'd walk you home."

She scoffed. "I've gotten home fine on my own in the past; I don't need you to escort me."

"In the past, there hasn't been 14 drunk, sex-crazed soldiers wandering around, has there?"

"And you aren't one of them?" She surveyed him with an arched brow.

"No. I'm not wandering around, I'm taking you home."

"That's so very reassuring." She stepped around him, walking as quickly as she could without being noticeably in a hurry. She heard his footsteps, slow and lazy behind her.

"So, where do you live?"

"Around here."

"Ah. I guess I'll find out soon enough."

"Are you purposefully being annoying?"

"No. I'm being a gentleman."

"Gentlemen don't stalk ladies."

"I see no lady."

"Oh what, you swing the other way then?"

"Would it bother you if I did?"

"Not at all."

"I'm sure it would. You'd be bothered by the fact that you are considered manly, wouldn't you?"

"I've never been called manly in my life."

"Really? You should have."

She stopped and turned, eyes flaming. "If I'm so manly, I can look after myself. So piss off back to your quarters or wherever you dogs live."

He continued walking towards her, stopping a few paces away.

"You're snappy. You should have had a drink, you need to loosen up."

"I don't need your advice. Now, leave me be."

She turned on her heel and continued walking. Moments later, she heard his footsteps again. "Goddamn it just go _home _ already!"

She twirled to face him, and within moments an arm was around her waist and she was pressed firmly against his body, her lips covered by his. Her eyes were wide, and her fingers clawed at his shirt, struggling to push him away. His lips broke away from hers, allowing her glare to achieve its maximum affect since she could twist her lips into a frown.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed.

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you are proving your comment right."

"Which one? The one about you not being up to the standards of fighting off a soldier?"

"No, the one about you being sex-crazed."

He smirked and chuckled. "I think both."

She snarled at him. "I could fight you off easily."

"Oh really? Then why aren't you?"

She blinked numbly, before lowering her gaze a little to rest at the point where their bodies connected, namely, their chests. A blush crept onto her cheeks as she realised her body was still crushed against him. She slammed her hands against his chest, trying to tear herself away from him, but his grip around her tightened and the smirk on his face widened.

"Well?"

"Let me go."

"That's no way to prove your strength."

"I'm serious. Let me go. _Now_."

"Nope."

She let out a low growl as she threw a hand at his face, which he caught easily with his free hand.

"Surely you can do better than that."

"Let. Go. Of. Me." She hissed between her teeth, attempting to pull her hand out of his grip with each word.

He leaned his head towards her, holding her gaze with his. "Make me."

She grinned. Her foot lifted off of the ground and slammed down onto his instep. He winced and inhaled sharply, loosening his grip on her. Her fist then hit his stomach, albeit lightly, and he pulled away. She grinned triumphantly at him before spinning around and running. She had to lose him and get home.

* * *

She walked into her small flat and breathed a sigh of relief. She emptied her pockets onto the table before heading for the bathroom too change. She was headed straight to bed. Cagalli showered quickly, before changing into the over-sized shirt she opted to wear to bed and walking back out into the living room, stretching her arms over her head. She heard a light tapping, and turned to look towards the door for a moment, confusion on her face. It hadn't sounded like a knock, but it was the only possibility. As she turned away from the door she heard it again, and screamed, slapping her hands over her mouth. There, standing at the window across from her, was a grinning Athrun. She hurried over to the window and pulled it open, glaring at him.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I'm making sure you got home alright."

"I got home fine, so bye."

With a grin, he placed his hands on the windowsill and launched himself inside. Cagalli stumbled backwards away from him as he watched her with a smile.

"Get out."

"It's impolite to not invite a visitor inside."

"You aren't a visitor, you're a pest."

"Actually, I'm a soldier."

"Same thing, different name."

"Not really. You could probably fight off a pest. If you don't want me here, make me leave."

"Gladly." She stepped towards him and gave him a rough shove back towards the window, but he hardly budged.

"C'mon, seriously. Give it a try."

She glowered at him.

"Wearing a men's shirt suits you, Miss Athha."

She paused for a moment, staring at him. A cool breeze from the window caressing her legs made her realise what she was wearing, or lack thereof, and she flew at him with a snarl. Partway across the gap between them, she stumbled over her own feet in her fury, and fell. She let out a muted cry as she felt her body hit his, knocking him over with her. As soon as the ground was under Athrun's back, she made to pull away but his arms were locked onto her waist. He looked up at her with a smooth gaze.

"I don't much like being on the bottom."

He murmured, before almost effortlessly rolling them both over so that he was leaning over her, his legs on either side of hers and his hands by her shoulders. A grin slid over his face as he looked down at her shocked face.

"I prefer being on top."

Cagalli regained her composure and sneered at him. "Yeah? Well I prefer the top too."

"What are you gonna do about it? You wanna fight me for it?"

"Sure."

"Like to see you try."

"Give me a time and place and I'll take you down."

"Here and now."

She gazed up at him, gnawing on the inside of her cheek. She huffed and turned her head to the side, looking away from him.

"I'm not in the mood."

"I can fix that."

His lips crashed down on hers, and her eyes widened much like earlier. But this time, she didn't push him away. Her hands slid around his shoulders, her body acting on the impulses brought on by the spell he had seemingly cast over her. Her body writhed beneath him, and he slowly pulled his lips off of hers, gazing down at her with a slight smile.

"Ready to give up?"

"Nuh-uh." And she found herself reaching for him, searching for his lips.

He obliged all too readily, returning her kiss as he slid off of her and scooped her into his arms, pulling her onto his lap. She straddled him eagerly, her lips not once leaving his. All her worries and cares had disappeared. Her hatred for soldiers, her hatred for the man she wanted so badly right now, was gone. His hands caressed her body, sliding over and under the shirt she wore. He hitched it up to her waist, burying his arms in the material as his hands ran over her bare skin. Her skin tingled where he touched it, and she shivered as his fingertips trailed across her back, around to her stomach. They were both breathing heavily now, though her own breathing stopped momentarily when his hands moved to her chest. The dragon in her stomach raised its head and roared, sending heat and lust through her. She succumbed to his touch. He felt her body soften, her lips and body mould to his. He smiled against her lips and slid her off of his lap, stood, and scooped her up again, carrying her in his arms. The arm he looped under her legs served another purpose as his fingers gently caressed her thigh as he followed her breathless directions.


	2. Part II

Hello hello~

Firstly. a big bunch of hugs to everyone who reviewed the first part! Ahh, how I love you all. If you review to this one, I'll love you even more haha.

Anyway, this made me sad, but it was fun to write. Hope you all enjoy!

The next and final part will be up next week, if I can bear to wait that long.

Gundam Seed owns not I.

* * *

Her eyes opened slowly, wearily. She hadn't had such little sleep in so long. She yawned and stretched languorously, blinking to adjust to the light filtering through the window. She rolled over, staring at the rumpled sheets on the other side of the bed. She paused for a moment before sitting up, letting the sheet fall away from her bare chest. She threw back the sheets and stood, pulling the oversized shirt over her head as she walked out of her bedroom to inspect the remainder of the flat. There was no trace of Athrun. A scowl crossed her face as she leaned back against the doorframe to the bedroom. Soldiers. They were all the same.

* * *

She ran a hand through her hair as she stepped into the bar. It was her night off, and yet, she found herself headed for the bar, for leisure this time. It had been a few days since her run-in with the soldiers, and since then there had been no sign. She perched herself on the barstool, and the bartender instantly handed her a drink. Ah, they knew her too well. She grinned thankfully at him, but just before she took a sip, an envelope was placed in front of her. She glanced down at it, and then up to the face of her boss.

"C'mon Cags, I've told you to get your fan mail sent elsewhere."

He grinned at her, and she laughed, setting her drink down.

"Fan mail? I doubt it. Probably someone trying to sue me. Who's it from?"

"Dunno, it arrived this morning. But this here seal says its from within the military."

Cagalli paused, glancing down at it. Her boss sauntered away, and she picked up to envelope curiously, turning it over to search for a sender. With a sigh, she used her fingernail to tear the envelope open, and shook out the paper within it. She unfolded it, and froze. A stamp on the paper detailed exactly who had sent it. She shoved the letter and the envelope into her pocket, downed her drink, and left as quickly as she could.

* * *

She sat down on the edge of the dock, leaning back against the post as she pulled the letter out of her pocket. The light on top of the post illuminated the paper, and she smoothed it out against her legs. It was the last thing she had expected.

'_I thought I'd let you know that I'm not really the type for a wham-bam-thankyou-ma'am relationship, but we were called out early that morning. You didn't hear a thing. Honestly, do alarms work on you whatsoever? Anyway I'm on my way to play the hero, so wish me luck, all right? I know what your thinking, why should you wish me luck. But hey, I gave you a good time, didn't I? So consider it payback. Anyway, Dearka and Yzak send their love. Wait, strike that, their sexual tension. They're so pissed off. _

_Athrun._

_P.S – I expect a reply. Our mail gets delivered from the military base every 3 days.'_

Her fingers crumpled the paper, and she hissed. The nerve of him. She had never told hi to send her a letter. She would prefer to think of him as the asshole she already did think of him as than have him bug her through the letter. If she replied to him, he was bound to reply back. She wouldn't put up with that. With a sigh, she tossed the paper over her shoulder and into the gentle waves.

* * *

"Another one?!" She shrieked.

Her boss grinned. "Give him your address already Cagalli. He's dedicated."

Cagalli snarled, tearing the envelope open.

'_This is my sixth letter Cagalli. I'm beating you 6-0. You don't want to lose to me do you? _

_Athrun.'_

She bit down on her bottom lip, glaring accusingly at the ink. God damn it, a challenge She would _not_ lose to him, no way, no how.

* * *

She reclined back on the bed, holding the paper in the air above her with a smile, her eyes scanning the page.

'_You replied. I knew you couldn't resist my charm. But serious, 'fuck you' isn't a very nice letter Cagalli. You didn't even sign it. Would it kill you to add a little 'xoxo' onto it at least? You know what they say, 'make love not war'._

_Since you took the liberty to reply, I'll give you an update. It's fucking hot over here. Gunfire 24/7. Booze every night. That's about it._

_Athrun._

_P.S- Yzak says that the weather is the only thing hot over here._

_P.P.S- Dearka thinks it's extremely amusing that Yzak has been high and dry for a month now._

_P.P.P.S- Yzak thinks Dearka should shut the goddamn hell up.'_

Cagalli giggled, dropping her hands to rest on the bed beside her.

* * *

'_Oh much better! I got what, 3 sentences! I'm a bit annoyed that one of them was for Dearka and Yzak though. They're still riled up. Anyway, thing are still boring. One of our mates died the other day. Gunshot wound in his leg got infected, and the dumb bastard was too proud to admit that it was giving him hell. But I'm still alive and that's all you care about, right?_

_Athrun._

_P.S- Dearka wants you to know that he is keeping an eye on his ass now._

_P.P.S- Yzak wants you to know that he could do so much better than bloody Dearka._

_P.P.P.S- Dearka thinks Athrun should watch out.'_

"What are you grinning about?"

Cagalli looked up at the bartender she was working with and smiled. "Oh it's nothing Mirry."

"Nothing, huh? Then why are you grinning stupidly at a piece of paper?"

Cagalli blushed. "Uh… no reason."

Miriallia reached out and snatched the paper out of Cagalli's hand, her eyes widening.

"You're smiling at something this morbid?"

Cagalli laughed. "Keep reading."

She watched as the grin split over the face of her friend.

"My God Cagalli who _are_ these people?"

"Soldiers. They were in a bit over a month ago, and one of them hasn't stopped bugging me."

"This… Athrun?"

"Mhmm."

"He cute?"

Cagalli paused for a moment, blushing. "Uh.. yeah, kind of."

"And these friends of his?"

Cagalli shot her a shocked glance. "Why Miriallia, I never!"

"What?" Miriallia laughed. "A girl can't be curious?"

"Well, I guess I can allow you that much. They aren't too bad looking."

"Not as good as Athrun then?" Miriallia shot Cagalli a look from the corner of her eye.

"Er, I don't think so."

"Don't worry Cags, I'll leave him to you."

The blonde blushed furiously. "It's not like that."

"Then what is he to you?"

"A… friend."

"You had sex with him didn't you?"

Cagalli froze, answering Miriallia's question in an instant. Her brown haired friend giggled.

"So, do you like him or was it just a play around?"

"Mirry!"

"Hey, just asking. So, which is it?"

Cagalli sighed, running a hand over her forehead and into her hair, her fingers digging into her scalp. "I… don't know. Fun, I guess."

"Hmm… When you don't know, it's usually the one you don't say."

* * *

She found herself pacing. Back and forth, back and forth. Miriallia looked up over her magazine and frowned.

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor soon Cags. What's got you worrying?"

"It's nothing really…His letter must have been delayed."

Miriallia paused, setting the magazine down in her lap. "Athrun hasn't written yet?"

"I haven't gotten anything, no."

"For the last four months, he has sent one every single week… it isn't like him."

"That's what I'm concerned about."

Miriallia smiled and shrugged. "Maybe he ran out of things to talk about."

"Yeah…maybe." Cagalli paused in her pacing for just a moment to let out a sigh and glance out of the window of her friends apartment.

* * *

The hand on her shoulder combined with ringing bells woke her.

"Cagalli. Cagalli, wake up."

She grunted sleepily, pulling her eyes open.

"A ship is pulling into the harbour. It's the PLANTS."

Cagalli shot upright, staring at Miriallia.

"He would have told me if they were coming back."

Miriallia shook her head. "They aren't meant to be back yet. Not for another few months, at least."

* * *

The pair of them ran for the port, Cagalli's weary eyes stinging in the wind that blew against them. A large gathering had formed as the ramp was lowered on the ship, opening the gaping entrance. Cagalli bit down on her lip, staring intently as figures began to materialise out of the blackness. She crept forward, edging deeper into the crowd, listening to the murmurs.

"An attack?"

"They had no choice."

"So many died."

"Lucky to be alive."

Her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes traced the stream of soldiers walking, hobbling and stumbling out of the ship, others lying on stretchers. Her eyes rested on a glint of silver, zeroing in on Yzak. She burst out of the crowd, running towards him. A guard reached out, pushing her back.

"Yzak!"

His head snapped up, eyes hunting. She wrestled against the guard holding her, and Yzak scowled, limping towards her.

"She's fine."

He snapped, and the guard released her in an instant.

"Cagalli, right?"

"Where's Athrun?"

His eyes narrowed and he sighed.

"Hoping for a 'good to see you, are you all right' was wishful thinking on my part, huh."

"Yzak."

His eyes sobered and he gave her a small smile.

"He saved my ass. Dearka's too, only just. But… The bomb exploded and… there's been no sign of him. He's listed as M.I.A."

Her breath left her as though she had been punched straight in the stomach. Yzak took a step towards her, reaching out one hand for support, but she knocked it away.

"Sorry." He muttered, eyes downcast.

* * *

The bar was silent. It was not for the remorse they felt, it was not their silence. It was silence for the girl standing behind the bar, for her vacant expression and her trembling hands. She had been like it for days. The door to the pub opened, and the first noise of the night occurred.

"Evening Cagalli!"

Her head shot up and she stared towards the door, towards Yzak and Dearka, the latter of which moved with a limp.

"Yzak. Dearka." Her voice choked.

They both headed for the bar, Yzak noticeably faster.

"How you feeling?"

Cagalli glanced around the bar, not too keen on expressing herself when the silence was so heavy.

"I'm... fine. Really."

"Mhmm." Dearka chastised quietly as he heaved himself onto a barstool with a wince. "And before you ask, we haven't heard anything. Although..."

Cagalli froze, staring at him. "Although what?"

Dearka sighed and leaned forward. "I heard a rumour. Just a rumour. They found an M.I.A soldier a couple of days ago. He was knocked around, but alive. He apparently said that there were others, wounded and escaped capture. All of them were listed as M.I.A. He couldn't name names. But they were all lying low, waiting for a safe time to make a run for it. Maybe Athrun is one of them."

Cagalli shook her head. "He's not. Athrun would come home as soon as he could."

"He may not be able to come home, Cagalli. God, he could be in the same state I was, or worse. Without medical attention, I never would have survived, and if Athrun is out there without help, then-"

Yzak hit his companion squarely in the back of the head. "Athrun is strong. He can look after himself. He wouldn't go down anywhere near as easy as this pussy."

For some reason, the arguing that ensued between the pair soothed her.

* * *

Her arm was draped over her eyes, blocking out the light gleaming through the window onto her bed. She groaned as she heard the loud knocking on the door, and rolled out of bed. Literally. She groaned as she sat up on the hard wooden floor, rubbing her behind as soon as she managed to stand up, wobbling unsteadily. She had had a little too much to drink after work the night before. She leaned on the door handle as she pulled the door open, blinking wearily.

"… Damn. You look like shit."

"Thanks, Dearka."

She mumbled, stepping back to let the two soldiers and Miriallia into her apartment. Dearka made himself at home immediately, slumping down on the couch, pulling Miriallia down beside him, and forcing Yzak to remain standing. Cagalli looked curiously at Miriallia who had a soft blush on her face.

"What're you guys doing here so early anyway?"

Dearka grinned and leaned forward. "Well, Yzak rocked up to my quarters at about 6 and wouldn't let me go back to sleep, so I decided that we should all suffer together."

"And how did Miriallia get dragged into all this?"

The two men looked at Miriallia with a grin, and she shrunk back.

"Miss Mirri made herself at home in Dearka's bed last night." Yzak jeered.

Cagalli gaped. It wasn't like she hadn't been expecting it, but still… Miriallia wasn't the type to hook up with someone after just a few weeks of knowing them, no matter how drunk she was. She could have done worse though, Cagalli decided.

"We were thinking about an early morning walk down to the beach. You up for it?"

"I dunno…"

"Aw come on, don't spoil the fun." Yzak teased, leaning back against the wall of the living room.

Cagalli sighed resignedly, smiling. "I guess I have no choice. I can't let Mirri suffer alone now can I."

"Good point that." Dearka stated slyly. "Not that she was suffering last night, right Mirri?"

Miriallia turned beet red in an instant.


	3. Part III

So, here it is. It disappointed me, but I hope it doesn't disappoint you guys. Now that this is all up, I can start working on my next idea. Ooh it shall be fun.

I don't own Gundam Seed.

* * *

The sand felt good under her feet. She heard a squeal and looked up to see Dearka dragging Miriallia towards the water, his arms latched around her waist, and Yzak diving for her kicking legs. Cagalli laughed softly watching the trio, grinning as Dearka tumbled backwards into the waves, taking Miriallia with him. She lowered herself onto the sand, sitting with her knees tucked up to her chest as she watched Miriallia chase Dearka further down the beach, screaming unidentifiable threats and insults. She rested her chin on her knees, the soft smile on her lips matching with her absentminded gaze as she stared out across the ocean.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Yzak dropped down beside her, laying back in the sand an closing is eyes against the bright sky. She looked down at him and smiled.

"It'd be a waste of money."

He grinned, sitting up and looking at her, before sighing.

"I uh… I don't want to ruin the mood, Cagalli, but…"

She blinked, reeling. "Yzak, I'm flattered, but-"

He stared at her and burst out laughing at her expression. "Let me finish, all right? I ain't confessing my love for you or nothing, don't go jumping to conclusions."

She smiled tersely, waiting impatiently for him to regain his composure. When he did, his face became solemn, and he shifted his weight to reach onto one of his pockets, pulling out a tangle of silver. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pushing the silver into her palm and closing her fingers over it.

"The officer gave this to me last night. Said he didn't know who else to give it to. But I did." He held her gaze for a moment before dropping her hand and standing quickly, hurrying down the beach away from her.

She looked at his retreating back in silence before looking down at her hand, uncurling her fingers. Her breath caught in her throat and she sobbed as she picked up the chain, holding the tag between her fingers as she studied it. In her hands was all she had left of him.

* * *

Miriallia looked up the beach, at the approaching Yzak and the shaking form of Cagalli sitting in the sand.

"You gave it to her?"

Yzak nodded curtly, jaw set firm. Dearka sighed, clapping Yzak on the shoulder.

"It's the right thing to do. Sure they hardly knew each other, but still… He really cared about her."

"That's why I feel bad." Yzak's voice was raspy, sorrowful. "The one girl who meant to much to him, and I just made her cry."

"Oh Yzak."

Miriallia stepped up to him, taking him into her arms and holding him gently. Her eyes met Dearka's and the pair of them exchanged weak smiles, before she squeezed her eyes shut tight to hold back her own emotion.

* * *

It was early, that much she knew, as she crawled out of bed to answer to the persistent knocking on her apartment door. If it was Dearka or Yzak, she would kill them. If it was Miriallia, she would go back to bed. She yanked the door open, rubbing her eyes wearily. And then she froze. She stared, wide-eyed, mouth agape.

"A-Athrun?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper as he took a step toward her.

"Did I wake you?"

She blinked, dumbstruck. "No- uh, yeah. But... how?"

He smiled stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind him. "Long story. I just got in."

They didn't speak after that. She was in his arms, their lips attacking each other hungrily. His hands trailed down her sides, her skin tingled, and her arms tightened around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. It was as the clothes were being shed that she realised the extent of the damage. Gauze taped around his abdomen, a bruise stretching the length of his back and scattered along his arms, his legs. She was careful, her fingers skimming gently, her lips pressing butterfly kisses against his skin. They made their way to her bedroom, pushing her back against the mattress as his battered body leaned over her, enrapturing her body.

* * *

She curled against his chest, careful not to touch upon his wounds. He reached past her, scooping up the chain from her bedside table and dangling it over them, watching as the sunlight glinted off of the dog tag.

"Dearka gave this to you?"

She nodded, nuzzling against his chest. His arm tightened around her, and he pressed a chaste kiss against her forehead.

"I'm glad he did."

He shifted his weight, placing an arm either side of her body as he kissed her, the tag held tight in his hand.

"You thought I wasn't coming back?"

"We all thought that." Cagalli whispered, gazing up at him.

Their heads snapped to the side as they heard a loud bang, and moments later they heard crowing.

"Athrun you dirty dog!"

Dearka burst into the bedroom, grin split over his face. Cagalli's face reddened and she held the sheets tightly against her chest whilst Athrun chuckled, sitting up as Yzak and Miriallia joined Dearka.

"I'm insulted. You come see Cagalli before us?" Yzak teased, sitting himself on the end of the bed.

"Well of course he does. Who would want to see your ugly mug?" Cagalli retorted.

"Aw, don't get angry with me Cagalli. We gave you two plenty of time to enjoy yourselves."

"Yeah, be grateful. We could have snared him before he got here, or right as you two got started, or right as you were c-"

Miriallia slapped Dearka firmly on the arm. "I think we all get the picture."

Dearka shrugged, and launched himself at the bed, crawling into the space between Athrun and Cagalli. "But don't let us stop you. Continue doing whatever you were."

"You spoiled the mood Dearka. We'll continue when you leave."

"Too bad. We're going out to party and you two are coming with us. Plus, Athrun, you owe us a story."

* * *

The smile of her face was wistful as she gazed at Athrun, grinning at the lewd comment Dearka had just made as they sat around the table in the bar.

"You haven't told us what happened yet. Spill." Yzak stated, leaning back in his chair.

Athrun sighed, sipping from his beer before leaning forward and glancing around at them furtively. "Well, after I saved you two dicks, the bomb went off, right. I was showered in shrapnel. It hurt like hell. But anyway, I lay there, dying, thinking of everything I would never know. And then out of nowhere these two soldiers grabbed me. They saved my life. They took me to a hospital over there, but didn't know who to report to since I had lost my tags. So they healed me up. I swear Yzak, you wish you were me. The nurses wore the tiniest outfits. They all had the hots for me."

Yzak snorted. "Liar."

"I'm serious! I told them I wasn't interested though. Maybe you should go get yourself half-killed. They're probably desperate by now. God knows I had no use for them." Athrun slung his arm around Cagalli's shoulders, smiling. "And that's my story."

"And how much of it is true?" Dearka quipped.

"Would I lie to you?"

The reply came in unison.


End file.
